Drover Town

Drover Town was platted August 22, 1857 by Henry Drover (1815-1880) and is located south of the Little River in the Third Ward of Huntington. It was annexed in January 1874. The combination of architectural styles reflect the growth and changes to the area. Drover Town was given National Historic Registry Status in 2006.

Drover Town included 20 of Henry Drover’s 160 acres of woodland. The streets were not laid out in the north-south/east-west grid that was common in towns at that time. The streets are named after family members of Mr. Drover. Sections of original brick sidewalks can been seen today. Strong evidence allows that the bricks’ origins have been traced to Ohio. 

The homes located here are primarily late 19^th century and predominately of a Queen Anne style, though examples of Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate along with fourteen other architectural styles can also be seen. While predominately residential, there were some retail businesses and a few factories in Dover Town. While many of the small businesses do not remain, the Griffith’s Block at the corner of Jefferson Street and Riverside Drive remains. The oldest house is the Samuel Purviance House established in 1859 with its combination of Greek Revival and Italianate style (now a Bed and Breakfast on South Jefferson Street.

Drover Town Historic District was given National Registry Status in 2006.

1. “Historical Preservation,” City of Huntington Indiana, accessed June 16, 2021. https://www.huntington.in.us/city/topic/index.php?topicid=110&structureid=19
2. “Drover Town,” IN.gov, accessed June 17, 2021, https://www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/find-a-marker/drover-town/
3. “National Register of Historical Places Registration Form”, National Park Service, accessed June 16, 2021. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/b028dea9-c986-4584-9614-7a0e09946b55
4. Beacon for Huntington, Indiana at https://www.beacon.schneidercorp.com. Filtered for all historic layers, showing layers and river boundaries. 
5. Map of Huntington Co., Indiana. 1866. Warner, Hayes & Warner. Ligonier, Ind.: E.B. Gerber & C.S. Warner.